Earth Week action: plant a tree

Yep, it’s time of year again… Earth Day is just a few days away. What actions do you have planned to decrease your environmental footprint?

The Conservation Fund has an idea: plant a tree. Its Go Zero campaign is working “to acquire land on behalf of national and state parks or wildlife refuges and to restore that land with native trees that will trap carbon dioxide over the project’s lifetime (estimated at 100 years).” The video above focuses on the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in Southeastern Missouri, where the program planted its one millionth tree in mid-March. CF is also working to purchase marginal farmland around the Red River National Wildlife Refuge in Northeastern Louisiana for similar efforts.

Tree planting, climate change, and wildlife protection

I must admit that I’m always a bit nervous about promoting tree planting efforts tied to carbon offsets… planting an individual tree is a dicey proposition, as it will sequester more carbon at maturity, and we just don’t know if it will reach that point. While Conservation Fund is soliciting donations in the context of offsetting one’s carbon footprint, they’re not actually offering carbon credits to donors (an important distinction). They’re focused on planting thousands of trees in large spaces, which means that there will be significant carbon capture in time. And, there will be benefits beyond reducing atmospheric carbon that come from these efforts, including

wildlife habitat restoration

improved air quality

flood protection

water management and purification

increased wild recreation areas

It certainly looks like a worthy effort.. and the video above, by NomadsLand, demonstrates how people from all walks of life can become inspired by reforestation efforts.

Got plans to get your hands dirty this week on behalf of the planet? Let us know about them…